1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector terminal lock structure which can positively prevent connection terminals inserted into the inside of a connector from being incompletely stored in terminal accommodating chambers.
2. Related Art
A variety of connector terminal lock structures have been known, such as the one disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Publication Hei. 3-20880.
FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of a conventional connector terminal lock structure. As FIG. 7 shows, a terminal lock structure 31 of a connector 40 consists of a housing main body 32 which includes a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 35 and a cover 33 which covers a housing main body 32 wherein terminals 4 are stored. Flexible latches 38 to be locked in latch engagement recesses in top plates of the terminals 4 are provided on the inner surfaces of upper walls 36 of the terminal accommodating chambers 35.
A lock member 42, which forms front walls 39 of the terminal accommodating chambers 35 for prevention of forward disengagement of the terminals 4 and includes lock retaining plates 41 for prevention of incomplete locking and unlocking of the latches 38, is provided by insertion from the front as a member separated from the housing main body 32. A plurality of guide holes 44 for insertion of mating male terminals 54 of the terminals 4 are formed in the front walls 39.
A rectangular-plate-shaped packing member 45 made of an elastic material, such as rubber, and a locking projection piece 46 on the external side thereof are inserted between the rear end surface of the housing main body 32 and the cover 33 for prevention of water seepage into the terminal accommodating chambers 35. A plurality of through holes 14 for insertion of covered wires W penetrate the packing member 45. Channels 47 for leading out the covered wires W are formed on the cover 33.
A mating connector 50 is provided with a mating connector housing 52 which retains a plurality of male terminals 54 and which is inserted into and connected with the housing main body 32 from the front and also provided with a mating connector cover 53 which covers the mating connector housing main body 52 via a packing member 55. A packing member 56 for prevention of water seepage is provided in a space between the housing main body 32 to be connected with and the mating housing main body 52.
In the terminal lock structure 31 of the above described constitution, the covered wires W are inserted first into the through holes 14 in the packing member 45 from the back and pulled out forward. After being stripped to expose the cores and positioned inside the wire holders of the terminals 4, the front ends of the wires W are crimped.
A plurality of terminal 4 are inserted into the terminal accommdating chambers 35 of the housing main body 32 from the back till the latch engagement recesses in the terminals 4 are securely engaged with the latches 38. When the covered wires W are pulled backward, the wire holders come to contact with the front end of the packing member 45 and the packing member 45 is inserted to fit into the rear end of the housing main body 32.
When the lock member 42 is inserted from the front of the housing main body 32, the lock retaining plates 41 are pushed inward between the upper surfaces of the latches 38 and the lower surfaces of the upper walls 36, and thus the latches 38 are fastened to be securely engaged in the latch engagement recesses.
If the latches 38 are not securely engaged in the latch engagement recesses in the terminals 4, the lock retaining plates 41 coming in the way hinder insertion of the lock member 42, and thus incomplete insertion of the terminals 4 into the terminal accommodating chambers 35 can be detected.
The terminals 4 are prevented from forward and backward disengagement by the latches 38 and the front walls 39 of the lock member 42 and also prevented from upward disengagement by the upper walls 36 of the terminal accommodating chambers 35. The terminal accommodating chambers 35 are internally sealed by the packing members 45, 55 and 56.
Since the conventional connector terminal lock structure as described above includes flexible latches 38 on the internal surface of the upper walls 36 of the terminal accommdating chambers 35, which can be bent vertically, a problem is the high costs due to the highly complicated metal patterns.
Another problem is that the smaller the aforenamed latches 38 become, the less sufficient the strength becomes.
Still another problem is that the addition in the members by the lock member 42 which includes the lock retaining plates 41 for detection of incomplete insertion of the terminals 4 into the terminal accommdating chambers 35 increases the costs.